Double-sided solar cell package

Abstract

In a solar cell array of terrestrial use, an improved double-sided solar cell package consisting of a photovoltaic cell having a metallized P-contact strip and an N-contact grid provided on opposite faces of the cell, a transparent tubular body forming an enclosure for the cell, a pedestal supporting the cell from within the enclosure comprising an electrical conductor connected with the P-contact strip provided for each face of the cell, and a reflector having an elongated reflective surface disposed in substantially opposed relation with one face of the cell for redirecting light to impinge thereon whereby the cell is subjected to incident radiation at each of its opposite faces.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. In a solar cell array for terrestrial use, an improved double-sided solar cell package comprising: A. a photovoltaic cell having a metallized P-contact stripe and an N-contact grid provided at each of the opposite faces thereof;   B. a transparent tubular body forming an enclosure for said cell;   C. a pedestal supporting said cell within the enclosure comprising an electrical conductor connected with the P-contact stripe provided for each face of the cell; and   D. means for directing rays of light to impinge on each face of said cell.   
     
     
       2. The array of claim 1 wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises a silicon cell having a P-contact stripe extended along the center portion of one face of the cell and a pair of P-contact stripes extended along opposite side edges of the other face thereof, and means electrically connecting said one P-contact stripe with said pair of P-contact stripes. 
     
     
       3. The array of claim 2 wherein said pedestal is formed of electrically conductive material and is electrically connected to each of said P-contact stripes. 
     
     
       4. The array of claim 3 wherein said means for directing rays of light to impinge on each face of said cell includes means defining reflectors mounted on the internal surface of the tubular body having elongated reflective surfaces extended in substantially opposed relation with said one face of the cell. 
     
     
       5. The array of claim 3 wherein said means for directing rays of light to impinge on each face of said cell includes a reflector externally related to said tubular body having an elongated reflective surface extended in substantially opposed relation with said one face of the cell. 
     
     
       6. The array of claim 3 wherein said package comprises one of a plurality of similar packages arranged in adjacent parallelism and said array further comprises means for connecting said packages in electrical series including: A. a closure plug mounted in one end of the tubular body forming the enclosure for each cell;   B. a first termination including a button contact mounted on said closure plug in substantial coaxial alignment with said tubular body and means for electrically connecting said first termination with said pedestal;   C. a second termination including a ring contact mounted on the closure plug in concentric relation with said button contact, and means for electrically connecting said second termination with said grid; and   D. means including a spring finger contacting the first termination of each package and the second termination of an adjacent package.   
     
     
       7. The array of claim 6 further comprising means including at least one end support supporting each package for angular displacement about the longitudinal axis of the enclosure. 
     
     
       8. The array of claim 6 wherein said enclosure is of a circular cross sectional configuration. 
     
     
       9. The array of claim 6 wherein said enclosure is of a non-circular cross sectional configuration. 
     
     
       10. An improved photovoltaic cell comprising: A. a planar body of semiconductor material of a substantially rectangular configuration including a first layer of P-type conductivity sandwiched between a second and a third layer of N-type conductivity, portions of the second layer having been removed along parallel edge regions of said body for exposing a pair of edge zones of said first layer, and a portion of the third layer having been removed along a central region of said body for exposing a central zone of said first layer;   B. means defining a pair of P-contact stripes extended along said pair of exposed edge zones of said first layer, and means defining a P-contact stripe extended along said exposed central zone of said first layer;   C. means defining on each N-layer an N-contact grid; and   D. means for supporting said cell comprising an electrically conductive pedestal disposed in juxtaposed relation with the central region of said body and connected with each of said p-contact stripes.